The Curious Case of KZ Okpala

/0 Comments/in /by

KZ Okpala’s major motion picture with the Miami Heat is just about to go into year 2, but it feels like we’re still waiting for the opening credits. The fans feel like they want to see a closer look and better understand the case at hand. When will they get to see the story truly unfold? Answers seem to get hazier as the fog of a weird season continues to make this harder to see.

Taken with the 32nd pick in the 2nd round of the 2019 NBA Draft after a solid sophomore showing with Stanford, Okpala was seen as a reach by many experts. But the Miami Heat were in love with him and traded multiple future second-round picks to select the versatile Forward. Reports would later come out that they had him right after Tyler Herro in their overall draft board. The team was seemingly in love with the young and raw talent. His athleticism and length seemed to have caught the eyes of the scouting team. They saw so much potential that could eventually be unearthed by the famous Miami Heat developmental staff. We’re now into KZ’s second year as a pro athlete, and he has yet to etch a role out for the team that took a chance on him. While that’s understandable for a player taken in the 32nd slot, something still seems to not sit right with Heat fans. It’s hard to imagine why Okpala hasn’t been given much of an opportunity in a year where you need youth and seem to be down at least four players every other night.

Maybe it’s just the usual impatience from fans? They want to see the shiny new toy that Erik Spoelstra can unleash on the unsuspecting basketball universe. And you know just the type of magic the Coach can make happen out of seemingly nothing at his dispersal. Yet, the “shiny new toy” remains kept in the sealed package despite what seems to have been a more than willing taker. It could always be a case that has to do with more of what we’re not seeing. After all, Coach Spoelstra and the organization have always been big on showing in practices just how bad you want that playing time. Even with all that, there are still minutes there up for grabs because the choices aren’t very plentiful at the moment. You can’t blame the fanbase for wanting to see what the team saw when they took somewhat of a gamble when they selected him. The team kept lauding him as a first-round pick that they stole right from under the league’s noses. Especially after the same fans just finished watching Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn start almost all of last season despite them being an undrafted second-year player and a rookie.

Granted, those guys are a lot older, but NBA experience isn’t easy, no matter the age. But Tyler Herro and Precious Achiuwa seem to have had quite an easy time when getting at least constant bench minutes as rookies. To go even further back at examples like Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson, who both found roles so early in their careers despite one of them spending so much time in the D-League (now G-League). KZ himself spent all of last year in the G-League developing his game almost the same way Richardson did. So shouldn’t a player who was touted as being almost equal to Herro prospect-wise be getting a much longer leash? Or it could be that Okpala was just hurt the most by not having a Summer League or regular Training Camp to work out even more of the rawness he still has. There are so many factors that fans keep going through in their heads that’ll eventually have them spinning out of control.

So far, it’s been an endless cycle of getting a taste of what Okpala could be, followed by a quick DNP the next day. And those tastes have left the fanbase craving more. Like an excellent teaser trailer of a crowdfunded movie, you want to see the full version of what so many people invested in. It’s always been on the players to force the coaching staff’s hands by showing them what they can do when they get opportunities. It’s hard to argue he hasn’t done as such. He’s shown you glimpses at that player you know he can become. He’s improved his shot, expanded his dribbling ability, and gotten so much stronger. The defensive skills have been the most promising, and that’s something “Heat Culture” has always preached. Okpala has made his mistakes here and there, but every player needs to have their growing pains sooner or later. Especially someone you’ve indicated will be a part of your future.

There is the argument that the team needs win-now players to see the floor to counterbalance the amount of youth getting such critical roles. Hence why you’ve seen players like Andre Iguodala and Moe Harkless continue getting those minutes instead. Even with that, I still think it wouldn’t hurt to showcase a guy like KZ in a year where it’s almost like a preseason half of the time. The worst case is that you’re taking minutes away from guys who will become more critical for possible trade bait or future playoff minutes. It’s a sort of fork in the road that Miami finds themselves in where they’re looking at both the win-now and future. There’s also the argument that the staff is trying to protect him from any deal he could be attached to in the future. While I can see where that’s coming from to an extent, I don’t think the Heat staff operates in that sort of manner.

It could very well be a case that he isn’t ready. And that may be the hardest pill to swallow for fans and even the staff itself. He may still be too raw and immature (basketball-wise) to have out there. It’s a difficult thing to let sink in because of how much you’ve been hearing about him. The fans have been fed this idea that he’s such an invaluable commodity of the future. Like a folk story, everything they’ve heard seems to look better in their heads than the actual reality. And fans don’t want their reality to crumble before them. But if he continues to play well in the minutes he gets, they’ll be right to keep asking questions.

For Okpala, one thing is for sure in that he’s going to keep trying every single time he’s given a chance. Miami always drafts guys who are willing to become the best versions of themselves. If the minutes continue to be uneven and uncertain, he’ll be there waiting to seize the opportunities, as slim as they may be. Even if his current role is slightly murky, he’ll make sure his future is bright in some capacity. He’s in the right environment and with the right people to do so. Soon he won’t be a mystery, but a thriller that you’ll need to see the endgame of. Hopefully, the ending doesn’t disappoint because you have all the right cast and crew on hand.

 

Marco Romo (@Marco_Romo) is a new contributor to Five Reasons Sports Network.

Miami Heat(Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Udonis Haslem question…again

/0 Comments/in /by

I don’t believe there is a story about the Miami Heat that Brady Hawk hasn’t written. He has covered the well-known free agency targets and even got to the point of desperation where he was making a case for Josh Jackson to join the Heat. He almost convinced me until I remembered it was Josh Jackson. The one name that hasn’t been mentioned throughout his onslaught of articles — Udonis Haslem.

That’s right. The culture captain himself has been left off of the laundry list of prospective Heat players for the 2020-2021 season by the man with 1,000 articles (and apparently no bedtime). *Scoffs* some boy wonder he is. Just kidding. Brady has been carrying Heat coverage on FiveReasons and has left some of us wondering if we are even worthy of calling ourselves contributors. Great job, bro.

So what does the 17-year veteran’s future hold? The answer is the same as it has been for the past few seasons — mind your own damn business. That final roster spot will have UD’s name on it until he is good and ready to retire.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. This conversation has been tossed around for years always resulting in number 40 still being on the roster. My guess is that this year will be no different. Udonis will once again patrol the sidelines and the locker room snuffing out any and all counter-culture mentality. And being honest, it should be no other way.

Royal A. Shepherd (@RoyalAShepherd) has written for several major newspapers, including the Tallahassee Democrat and the Augusta Chronicle, and now contributes to Five Reasons Sports.

 

 

 

Five Players The Miami Heat Should Target

/0 Comments/in /by

Miami has become the new sexy pick for best free agency destination after the Heat’s run at the NBA championship in the bubble this season. With the new-found popularity, the Heat will have some tough decisions to make when looking to improve the roster.

5. Demarcus Cousins

Despite being injured for the better part of the past two seasons, when healthy, Boogie Cousins is one of the most skilled big men in the league. His ability to shoot, pass and be a presence in the post should all be attractive lures for Miami. If Cousins buys into the now famed Heat culture and improves his fitness level and conditioning, the Heat could grab a steal. A year in the Heat organization could also help Cousins recoup some of the value he has lost due to injuries. He was in line for a max contract that never materialized after he ruptured his Achilles in 17-18 while playing for the Pelicans.

 

 

4. Victor Oladipo

Oladipo has made it apparent that he wants to win now. He has also expressed, albeit less overtly, his love for the city of Miami. At his peak, Oladipo is an all-star level two-way player that adds scoring, defense and some playmaking ability to a team. However, according to Ethan Skolnick on the Five on the Floor Podcast, Oladipo’s behavior in the bubble has raised some eyebrows about whether or not he is a winner. His injury history is also an area for concern — returning from a torn quad tendon in January. He averaged 14.5 PPG on 39 percent (32 percent from 3) shooting in 19 games.

3. Christian Wood

Brady Hawk has already detailed everything I wanted to in his article on Wood’s fit with Miami. Over Detroit’s final 13 games as the starting center, he posted numbers of 22.8 points and 9.9 boards on 56.2 percent shooting and 40.0 percent from three. Prying Wood away from Detroit will not be an easy task considering his breakout season following the trade of Andre Drummond. However, there is a chance and that is all Miami can ask for.

2. Jrue Holiday

Point of attack defense has been an area of concern for the Heat dating back to the beginning of the season. Holiday is an immediate upgrade in that area and many more. Not only is he an elite perimeter defender, but also a capable combo guard that can both facilitate the offense and score the ball. The 30-year old’s averages of 19.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists will fit in nicely with the current Heat squad. Holiday has also recently been recognized by several of his peers on various platforms as one of the most underrated player in the league. We all know where those types of guys can find a home.

1. Giannis Antetokoumpo

The reigning back-to-back MVP is at the top of every team’s wishlist. Rightfully so. His gawdy averages of 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game and recent earlier-than-expected playoff exits (you’re welcome) have GMs around the league salivating at the opportunity to acquire his services. Miami is believed to be amongst the frontrunners to land him should he decide to part ways with Milwaukee, along with Dallas, Toronto and Golden State. What the Heat offer Giannis is a ready-made championship contender that fits his style of play. In turn, Giannis gives the Heat another star to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

 

Royal Shepherd (@RoyalAShepherd) has written for several major newspapers, including the Tallahassee Democrat and the Augusta Chronicle, and now contributes to Five Reasons Sports.

We, Heat Fans, Just Want Our Damn Respect

/1 Comment/in /by

First, I would like to congratulate the Miami Heat organization on a marvelous season. The run made by this team should go down as one of the more remarkable displays of maximizing talent that this league has ever seen. It should. But it won’t.

 

The three reasons it won’t: 

 

  1. LeBron won another title. That will always be the story.
  2. The NBA was robbed of two potential matchups they’ve been pushing because Miami eliminated those teams ahead of schedule (Giannis vs. LeBron and Lakers vs. Celtics).
  3. It’s the Heat.

 

These things all point to the same conclusion — despite the temporary praise, the Heat will return to its all too familiar comfort zone of being underrated. Not by players, who watched as the Heat embodied what most of them believe is the right way to play the game, but to the general public that only listen to the Nick Wrights, Mike Greenbergs and Colin Cowherds of the world. 

 

All of that leads me to as a simple question. Is it too early for Heat fans to feel slighted? 

 

The reason I’m asking is because it hasn’t been 24 hours, but casual basketball fans and the national media are already trying to bury one of the greatest accomplishments in the Miami Heat’s history. In an effort to cheapen this team’s accomplishments, several commentators have credited our wins to the shortcomings of other teams. Conversely, talking heads have also used Miami as a punchline to try and poke fun at the validity of this championship.

 

Skip Bayless discredits Miami, per the usual, by claiming Miami should have been swept. 

 

He isn’t alone. CBS NBA reporter Sam Quinn predicted that Miami won’t return to the Finals again during the Jimmy Butler era because the circumstances surrounding the run aren’t sustainable. He doesn’t take into account the roster flexibility Miami will have with the number of free agents we have coming off the books or the amount of cap space the Heat will have to be major players in the 2021 market. 

 

In other tweets, he suggests Milwaukee and Dallas are more attractive free agent destinations because the Luka Doncic/Kristaps Porzingas duo is better than Bam and an aging Jimmy Butler.   

 

 

 

 

And then we have ESPN and their way too early Power Rankings where they have Miami listed 9th. 9th?!?!? There are some things in the world that cannot be explained. The placebo effect, Alf954’s uncontrollable hatred for Tony Brother’s eyebrows, Hassan Whiteside and this shit. How are the NBA’s first runner up behind two teams they beat (Milwaukee and Boston), a fully healthy team that didn’t push the Lakers nearly as hard as Miami with injuries (Denver), one of the biggest super team disappointments in recent memory (Clippers), a team that lost in the first round (Dallas), a non-playoff team (Golden State) and THE FUCKING 76ers.

 

 

Whatever, some things will never change. But some things do, like the trajectory of this franchise moving forward.

 

Royal Shepherd (@RoyalAShepherd) has written for several major newspapers, including the Tallahassee Democrat and the Augusta Chronicle, and now contributes to Five Reasons Sports.

Drink It In, Heat Nation: Your Giant-Ass 2020 NBA Finals Preview

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Ultimate Miami Heat Playlist To Get You Ready For Game Time: Compiled By You, Heat Twitter

I asked and you delivered. Put this playlist on while you read this. Then put it on repeat every game day and get ready to run through a god damn wall. LET’S FUCKING GO.



The Block And The Importance of Being Cultured

Every NBA playoffs has a series-defining moment. And for the 2020 Miami Heat, it was The Block. The one where Bam ripped Jason Tatum’s soul directly from his body while sealing a Game 1 victory for the Heat and setting the tone for the rest of the series. Not only did Bam block the ever loving shit out of Tatum’s potential game-winning-oh-my-gahhh-Jason-Tatum-is-the-next-Kobe-hurrr-durrr dunk, he utterly wrecked everyone’s expectations of how this series would and should go. It was a block that woke up the basketball-watching to the fact that Bam Adebayo has arrived: fully armed and operational. It was a block that quieted all the Colin Cowherd mouth breathers of the world, not to mention alleged NBA scouts that called Bam’s matchup with Daniel Theis a wash (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA), and every single member of Celtics Nation — as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

If you could bottle #Culture, or at least encapsulate it with one image — it’s The Block.

The Block is a loaded cornucopia of how and why Miami Heat Culture works: A largely unknown and dismissed young player taken middle of the first round and cast off by the so-called experts taking on a highly touted Future Star one-on-one.

Jason Tatum, the Next Guy Up, the Celtics’ Golden Boy Chosen One Danny Ainge Is A Genius And Supposed Heir to Kobe Bryant, takes off towards the basket for a supposed monster dunk that would have made all of ESPN collectively climax into their pants. But he is suddenly and violently met by Bam at the rim. Bam, showing impossible strength and apparently a wrist made of hard rubber, emphatically blocks the attempt.

Clean, strong, with authority.

A nation cheers.

A world watches in awe.

The image is forever burned in our collective brains.

Holy and shit what a play.

And with that, all of what Culture is supposed to be — hard work, dedication, sacrifice, defense first, blood, sweat, courage, ego-aside, badassery — flashes before the NBA’s collective consciousness. The Block was more than just a brilliant defensive play, it was a message to the rest of the league that Heat Culture is open for business and, brother, business is A-BOOMIN. Heat Culture is the cure to what ails all your losing ways. Tired of losing? Come take up the Culture. Want to be the best player you’ve ever been? Come take up the Culture. Want a real shot at winning a title and upping your legacy? Come take up the Culture.

It’s why Andre Iguodala told reporters on Tuesday, “Every young guy should experience what Heat Culture is like because it sets them up for success their entire career.”

ARE YOU NOT LISTENING, GIANNIS? DO YOU NOT SEE, BRADLEY BEAL? HAVE YOU NOT WITNESSED, KAWHI?

Every kingdom LeBron James has ruled over has turned to sand upon his exit. The Cavaliers in 2010, the Cavaliers again in 2018, and we can only guess once he leaves L.A., and Anthony Davis goes too, how that will all turn out (history says: Not great, Bob!).

But the Miami Heat have remained.

The Miami Heat is the Infinity Stone.

Even after a few bad years wandering the wasteland of the Hassan Whiteside Era, bad contracts, and early playoff exits, the Heat still managed to right the ship by unloading bad players, refilling the coffers with young up-and-coming future All Stars, undrafted badasses who shoot lights out from downtown, and attracting top disgruntled talented vets like Jimmy Butler. The Heat are steady even as teams with once promising futures like the Cavs, Sixers, and Thunder all fall by the wayside.

Not only did Bam’s block usurp all other moments during these playoffs (and there are many “fuck yea!” moments, including the Heat dismantling Giannis and the Bucks, the sweep of the Pacers, Butler morphing into Playoff Jimmy), it sent a clear message:

Yes, we’re a fifth seed.

No, we weren’t expected to have gotten this far.

Yes, you can take your expectations and Vegas odds and roll them into a PVC pipe and shove them into your shit-hole.

The sheer impossibleness of that block is mind boggling. Bam, with his WEAK HAND, had to contort his body mid-air to not only contest Tatum, but meet him at the rim without putting a body on him as to not get a foul called by the shit-for-eyes officials. On the strength of an explosive hop and leap, Tatum brought the ball down full force, as he has a million times before in his career. And Bam somehow met all ball and pushed it back (again, with his WEAK HAND), stuffing the dunk and ending Tatum’s quest to be The Hero. It’s a block that needs to be sent to labs at NORAD and studied for decades to come.

Watch this nerd’s breakdown of how it was even better than we all think:

Things were never truly the same for the Celtics after The Block. Sure, they took two games in the series, but they also imploded in a locker room ruckus, wilted under the oppressive Heat zone defense, succumbed to The Baby Goat, and lost yet another Eastern Conference Finals, falling short of expectations and making ESPN very sad about the death of the dream of televising a Lakers-Celtics Finals where they could show more riveting images of Deuce Tatum on the sideline watching cartoons on an iPad.

And all of the experts’ insistence that Boston would storm back and take control of the series, and all of the hopes heaped upon Gordon Hayward’s Antebellum MAGA mustache, and all of Marcus Smart’s gritty-you-wish-he-was-on-your-team-flopping, and all of ESPN turning the camera on Jason Tatum’s kid every two minutes, could not and would not put it back together again.

Bam Adebayo’s block announced to the world that Culture is open for business, even as it takes care of business.

Bam’s block broke the Celtics.

Bam’s block made Paul Pierce shit his pants again (probably).

And it was all very beautiful.

And now we’re here.

Why This Whole Thing Matters

The Miami Heat are back in the Finals (!!!) And it matters. It matters because holy shit nuggets is it hard to get to this point. I mean, stupid hard. Never mind winning it. Just getting here is ridiculously difficult. Like, solving the Collatz Conjecture while someone taps you in the nuts with a ball-peen hammer difficult. So, let’s drink it up and enjoy every moment. DON’T TAKE OUR GREATNESS FOR GRANTED, DUMMIES.

Here’s the thing: Since 2000, only 14 NBA teams have reached the Finals. At the top, the Los Angeles Lakers (thanks to Kobe and Shaq and now LeBron and The Brow), getting there eight times. Know who comes in 2nd? YOUR MIAMI HEAT FUCK YEAH.

The Heat have now reached the NBA Finals six times, thanks mainly to Dwyane Wade and Shaq and then Dwyane Wade and his Two Amazing Friends (feat. Ray Allen). The Warriors have been there five times, as have the Spurs, and the Cavaliers (there’s LeBron again), then the Mavs (twice), and Celtics (also twice LOLOLO), and Pistons and Nets (twice). After that, we’ve seen the Raptors, Thunder, Magic, 76ers, and Pacers (remember Rik Smits? What a weird time that was) all getting there once each. That’s it. Out of 30 teams, 14 of them have Tenzing Norgay’d their way up the NBA mountaintop. And while the Heat have gotten there the second-most times (which in and of itself is fuckin bananas when you think about it), it’s really tough to get to this point.

Finals Appearances Since 2000
Lakers 8
Heat 6
Warriors 5
Cavaliers 5
Spurs 5
Mavericks 2

 

Celtics 2

 

Pistons 2
Nets 2
Raptors 1
Thunder 1
Magic 1
76ers 1
Pacers 1

The NBA Playoffs are a gauntlet-crammed crucible filled with rage-fueled barbarians in leather-and-spike thongs hurdling spears and tridents at your throat. It’s filled with collapsing ancient booby-trapped temples and man-eating sharks and giant boulders rolling down hills from secret chambers. You have to not only be gifted at putting the ball into the hoop more times than the other team, but you have to have the mental toughness of a Shackleton and the physical dexterity of that guy in the meme with the giant cock (don’t Google it, trust us, let’s just move on) to get through it unscathed.

Point is, this moment right here, right now, is a rare one. It’s never guaranteed. And it can never be taken for granted. The moment we start thinking “oh we’re going to be here every year” is the moment we all collectively become the 2008 Celtics. Fuck that.

10 Most Important Miami Heat NBA Playoffs Moments Ranked

1. Dwyane Wade Announce His Presence With Authority In the 2006 NBA Finals: The franchise’s first ever trip to the Finals, which culminated in their first-ever title. There was old Shaq, acquired via a trade with the Lakers a season ago, trying to win one without Kobe. And there was Alonzo Mourning, fresh off his kidney failing him, staring at the eternal abyss that consumed other Greats To Never Win A Title Like Barkley, Malone, Ewing, and countless others. And there was Coach Pat Riley, telling his guys to pack only one suit and dunking his head into a vat of ice water until he almost died to show his guys what it took to win (Pat Riley is fucking crazy!) And there was young Dwyane Wade who, when facing an 0-2 series deficit that included the city of Dallas already mapping out the championship parade route, said, “Fuck this! I’m not going out like that!” and then proceeded to ram his fist into the Mavericks’ collective chests and pull out their spinal cords and skulls like Predator to add to his trophy case. Wade basically singlehandedly won the ’06 Finals, becoming the youngest player to win Finals MVP since Magic Johnson, and the first shooting guard to win Finals MVP since Michael Jordan. This was the Finals that put the Heat on the map as a world class organization. The Finals that announced to the world that D-Wade had joined the chat. The Finals that cemented Riley’s promise of a parade down Biscayne Blvd. This is the one that started it all.

2. The Shot: When you have a play that can be instantly recognized by its own name, you know it’s fucking iconic.

3. Young Dwyane Wade Takes Down the New Orleans Hornets: “Stan Van Gundy went to the rookie and he delivered! Haha! Listen to the crowd, baby.”

4. LeBron’s First Title: LeBron James’ legacy as one of, if not the, greatest players in NBA history has already been cemented. And when they do a career retrospective whenever he decides to hang em up, the first clip they’ll inevitably show is his chase-down block on Andre Iguodala in the 2016 Finals. Followed by all the hoopla about him bringing a championship to a title-starved city of Cleveland, followed by other frivolous bullshit. But never forget — his very first title was with the Miami Heat. This is where he learned how to win. This is where he’ll have won the majority of his career titles. This is where it began. They can hate and hate and hate all they want. But that doesn’t change this one irrefutable fact: This is where LeBron James broke his Larry O’Brien cherry.

5. LeBron’s Cobradick Game 6 vs The Celtics: With the Heat facing an embarrassing elimination and the certain avalanche of shit to come from fans and media alike in the wake of failure, they traveled to Boston where it was win-or-end the grand experiment. The stakes had never been higher, for him or the Heat. So, with Boston fans breathing down their drunken assholery all over the team at the Garden, and no one knowing how shitty the Heat role players might be on this particular night, one man had the coal fire nuts to make a stand against the sea of green douche and obliterate their hopes and dreams into a fine powder: LeBron Raymone James, aka COBRADICK. 45 points, 15 rebounds. An underly devastating performance. The game would catapult the Heat into a Game 7 win and an eventual Finals win. This game also gave us the most iconic LeBron image ever, which the internet insists on using to plaster other people’s faces on because the internet is filled with fucking hacks.

6. The Block: Bam Adebayo serving up rectum sandwiches to every dipshit who thought he was just some guy. And against that team, of all teams. Somewhere Bill Simmons is walking his dog, sad texting his dad and his buddies Sully and Bean-O. No matter what happens from here on out, The Block is a seminal moment that lives in Heat Lore forever.

7. Purple Shirt Guy: It was 2016 and Dwyane Wade, post-Big Three, wasn’t considered the spry young warrior he once was. The Heat entered a slugfest with the Charlotte Hornets that went seven games. The Heat dropped Games 3, 4, and 5 to a team lead by Jeremy Lin and his manbun. To make matters worse, at every Charlotte home game, some doucher in a purple shirt sitting court side endlessly taunted Wade and the Heat from the opening tip. He became a media darling, because he was rich and wore a purple shirt and because he actually took credit for those three Charlotte wins. So when a win-or-go-home Game 6 on the road rolled around for the Heat, there he was — Purple Shirt Guy, choosing to once again taunt Dwyane Wade. He chose poorly. Wade went on to personally kick any hopes of the Hornets taking the series headfirst into a ditch and then promptly introduced Purple Shirt Guy’s asshole to his foot a few dozen times. Not only did the Legend of Dwyane Wade successfully murder the shit out of Purple Shirt Guy’s bullshit, sending him away into obscurity, forever banishing him into The Forbidden Zone, the Heat went and won Game 7 as well, taking the series from Charlotte’s cold dead hands. Dwyane Wade was awesome, in case you didn’t know.

8. The Other Block: Fuck a Danny Green. CB Forever.

9. Dwyane Wade’s Dunk On Kendrick Perkins: Look, I know he’s suddenly our friend and coined the nickname Dem Goons From Dade. But he’ll always be Moose Pussy to OG #HeatTwitter. A big menacing oaf who only knew how to hack players and run his big dumb mouth. So when D-Wade took it to him on this ridiculous dunk in Game 1 of the 2013 Finals, leaving Perkins a heaping pile of ash under the basket, it was one of the most satisfying moments in Heat Finals history (Edit: The video above is from a regular season game but we’re keeping it up because, fuck Kendrick Perkins)

10: Mike Miller’s Shoeless Three: Remember how Mike Miller ran around like a mix of the Scarecrow and Tin-Man, all flailing injured limbs, held together with duct tape and gum? And then remember when he came into the game and turned the tide with his 3-point shooting prowess WITH ONE SHOE. Mike Miller is fuckin awesome.

 

Erik Spoelstra Is the Best Coach in the NBA Right Now, or How I Learned To Hate The Analytics Nerds’ Unearned Love For Brad Stevens

Ever since the Celtics hired Brad Stevens back in 2013 and all throughout the time since, we’ve had to deal with the ceaseless yammering of a million whining gravy-stains-on-their calculators analytic nerds about how Brad Stevens is supposedly the best and brightest coach in the NBA because he likes math and defense or some such horsecockery. And that Spo, for all his winning, was only successful because he had the luxury of having LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh suit up for him. Because Brad Stevens only coaches sock puppets and not an actual NBA team filled with All Stars and big-play guys, apparently.

So, as these things go, it was time to settle this nonsense once and for all in this year’s Eastern Conference Finals. Stevens and his team of really good players versus Erik Spoelstra and his Wade-less, LeBron-less seemingly less-talented, grungy-ass dog squad.

And then Spo proceeded to make things bad for Stevens and worse for the pasty basketball podcast nerds.

In just six games, Spo settled the argument by reaching into Brad’s high-waisted mom jeans and tearing out his proverbial heart through his proverbial asshole with his beautiful basketball mind.

Spo has always had the “disadvantage” of having coached Wade and LeBron in terms of those things counting against whether he’s an elite coach or not. Never mind that these same people consider Phil Jackson the greatest coach ever even though he’s never won a title without Jordan or Pippen or Kobe or Shaq, and never mind that LeBron had his most dominant years in a Heat uniform. Spoelstra finally had a chance to show the world his meddle. And he showed them the shit out of his meddle.

So enough already with crowning a guy as the best when he hasn’t won jack dick in the NBA.

Erik Spoelstra is the best coach in the league. Period. Done. Shove your unearned love of Brad Stevens into an Elon Musk billion dollar fart rocket and shoot it directly into the sun.

 

2020 Finals Storylines Ranked


1. LeBron vs Riley: Everyone talking about this series say that this is the main narrative of these Finals and they’re damn right. The Heat getting here six years after LeBron left, showing up with a rag tag group of hard-working Culture-fueled warriors built in the mold of a Pat Riley team. LeBron versus the team that gave him his first two rings. A dog fight shall ensue, and LeBron knows it. The LeBron-Riley breakup has been mired in messiness, pettiness, and bitterness over the years. There’s mutual respect, to be sure. And the two men are cut from the same competitive cloth. But LeBron left Pat hanging high and dry when he left, not alerting the team of his intentions of going back to Cleveland, and reportedly treating a World Cup game on TV more important than a one-on-one meeting with Riley. In turn, Riley threw shade at LeBron, making comments about guts, and agendas, and not leaving when things get hard. Two GOATS. It’s great.

2. Riley vs Lakers: Pat Riley cut his teeth with the Lakers. Lakers fans love him. Wild that, after all these years, they’re finally facing each other in the Finals.

3. Jimmy’s Collective Fuck You To His Doubters: It’s crazy that just a little over a year ago, Jimmy Butler was introduced as the newest member of the Miami Heat. Everything that transpired to get him here is amazing. From Dwyane Wade leaving us after things turned sour with Pat Riley and he signed with the Bulls where he met Jimmy and proceeded to plant the seeds of Heat Culture into Jimmy’s brain, to Jimmy having to endure an awful time in Minnesota, to him then being traded to a championship contenting Sixers team, to having a balls-out playoffs series performance against the Raptors that was lost by an improbable shot made by Kawhi Leonard, to the Sixers deciding he was the problem and shipping him off, to Riley pouncing on all that, to the experts saying Jimmy whined his way out of Philly to go to the wrong team — a team that would only end up being a pathetic first round exit to…… well…… HERE. THE NBA FINALS. Holy shit what a ride. And now Jimmy Butler is where he belongs. And no, he did not suffer a first-round exit with the wrong team. He led that team into the NBA Finals.

 

6 Reasons The Heat Can Win

1. They Can Be The 2011 Mavericks (or the 2004 Detroit Pistons): The Heat are once again entering a series as an underdog and it’s appropriate that this run ends with the Final Boss Battle against LeBron and Anthony Davis. So, the Heat have their work cut out for them. But, as we’ve seen against the favored Bucks and again against the favored Celtics, it’s not an impossible task. We’ve seen Davids take down Goliaths in the NBA Finals before. The 2004 Pistons shocked the world when they defeated Kobe, Shaq, and the mighty L.A. Lakers. And then there was the heart-wrecking pain that was the 2011 Finals when the Mavericks beat LeBron and the Heat. If the Heat can key in on the Big Two, clog the paint and force L.A. to shoot, and muck things up with their vaunted Zone defense, knock down their threes, stay aggressive in attacking the rim, they have a puncher’s chance. We’ve seen LeBron get outplayed and man-handled by a scrappy JJ Barea. Now he has to face a full squad of scrappers. It’s very possible the Heat can do this, especially if they can frustrate LeBron and defuse the Anthony Davis bomb.

2. Jimmy Buckets Turns Into Jimmy Cojones: Jimmy has been ferocious in these playoffs. He’s also had moments where he’s vanished. Those moments usually meant a Heat loss (only 3 of them). So we have Jimmy Buckets, which consists of heady plays and drive and kicks and whatnot and that’s all good and fine. But to have a chance against these Lakers, we need more than Jimmy Buckets. We need Jimmy Cojones. Jimmy Cojones flexes his nuts and rescues his team from certain doom. Jimmy Cojones just doesn’t set up his teammates, or dive for loose balls. Jimmy Cojones takes shit over. He attacks the basket, he makes threes, he knocks down jumpers, he plays suffocating defense and causes turnovers. Jimmy Cojones incinerates his opponents into a fine powdery ash. Jimmy Cojones doesn’t do pushups, he pushes down the Earth. Jimmy Cojones is a badass motherfucker. We need Jimmy Cojones.

3. Tyler Herro Unlocks BABY GOAT Mode and Fucks Shit Up Good And Proper: The stage has been set for young Tyler to show the world that he belongs in the conversation of Future Ball Wreckers of the NBA. From Magic to D-Wade, the Finals have had their share of young players announcing their greatness with championship performances. Tyler has shown he can go all NBA JAMS ON FIRE and take over games. With all the talk about Luca and Booker and Tatum being Next Up, it just might be 20-year-old Tyler Herro that gets there first.

4. MECHA BAM: Remember when Godzilla fucked up all of Japan and then they had to build a mechanical Godzilla to keep the original Godzilla for wreaking more havoc? Mecha Godzilla was the baddest monster on the block. That’s what we need from Bam in this series. We need more than Bam. We need MECHA BAM. Expect the Lakers to throw all of the big men at Bam. AD, Howard, JaVelle — they’re all going to get a crack at him. But, just as he showed against Boston, Bam has the ability to turn on the thrusters and take the fuck over. We’re going to need more Game 6 Against Boston Bams to win this series, and we believe he has it in him.

5. GORAN BEING DRAGON: Goran Dragic has been playing out of his Slovenian mind in these playoffs. He’s the engine that makes this thing go, and you know he’s going to come out ALL DRAGON in his first-ever Finals appearance. We’re going to need The Dragon more than ever. It’s his time.

6. The X-Factors: Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder were brought here because of their defensive prowess, to be LeBron stoppers. They came through big in the Eastern playoffs. Now it’s time to sweep the damn leg. Then there’s guys like Kelly O, and even Solomon Hill. Shit we might even see Meyers Leonard. All hands on deck. Aside from Jimmy, Goran, Bam, and Tyler, someone else is going to need to make their mark — the kind made by Shane Battier and Mike Miller and Birdman before them.

Prediction

Heat in 4.

Why in 4?

Chris Joseph (@ByChrisJoseph) is a host of the Five Reasons comedy and politics podcast, Ballscast. He’s written about sports and movies for Deadspin, Miami New Times, CBS Sports, and several other outlets.

A Note to Miami Heat fans: Dream Bigger

/2 Comments/in /by

In the words of Daffy Duck from the original Space Jam movie: It’s gut check time.

 

As the initial euphoria of the Heat making it to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014 begins to wear off, some basketball fans have already conceded an unceremonious exit for Miami. Pundits alike have also already crowned an NBA champion before Game 1.

 

National media and the general public have all but buried the Heat in this series against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Some media members who host daily shows on two major sports networks fail to even mention the Heat as a participant in the Finals altogether. It’s almost like they would have preferred any of the Heat’s previous two opponents in this position instead. Maybe to show another story about Jayson Tatum’s son because we were all excited for him to have more camera time than Jimmy Butler during game 6.

 

This is to be expected from them. Their opinions mean nothing. They aren’t a part of the culture. They weren’t here for 11-30 or 30-11. They weren’t here for the Justice Winslow vs. Devin Booker war. They weren’t here for J-Rich as your top scoring option. They weren’t here for Okaro White, Luke Babbitt, Derrick Williams, Wayne Ellington, Rodney McGruder, Wilie Reed, tri-captain James Johnson, Dion Waiter and Hassan Whiteside. My God, Hassan Whiteside. THEY WEREN’T HERE. Nothing against those players mentioned. All of them played hard for this team and moved us one step closer to where we are today. Well, almost all of them. But we didn’t expect love from the media then and we shouldn’t expect it now.

 

But I do have one question for the members of Heat Nation that are just happy to be here and only want to make the series competitive: How dare you? 

 

No self-respecting cultureholic should be thinking that Miami came to the Finals and will leave satisfied with just an appearance. That’s not how this work. The Heat compete for championships every year – that’s it. Nothing more and nothing less. Miami didn’t show up to the bubble to be the final chapter in LeBron’s bubble coronation. They showed up to sweep the seeding game’s MVP TJ Warren, make the league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo accept his award from home and to send Gordon Hayward back home to his newborn to be a family man. They showed up to win a championship. They came to win “it”. 

 

Pat Riley is famously quoted as saying “There is winning and there is misery.” We have experienced misery with this organization over the past few seasons. Some grew to expect it. They believed Zach Lowe’s prediction that Miami had the bleakest future in the league. Other believed in the organization, in Riley, in Spo. Those fans are being rewarded with another conference title and another shot to win it all. We deserve to be here and we’ve earned our spot in the dance. This roster has fought tooth and nail for our respect, and we owe them nothing less than to all in on them being champions of the basketball world.

 

So, to all of the people who don’t believe Miami has a chance in this series, bring your stars. Bring your storylines. Bring your refs. Bring your hate. Bring your doubt. And oh yea, bring you King. Throw the ball up and play. Because at the end of the day, Miami is still the Hardest Working, Best Conditioned, Most Professional, Unselfish, Toughest, Meanest, Nastiest Team in the NBA. And some of you better not forget it.

 

Heat in 7.

 

Royal Shepherd (@RoyalAShepherd) has written for several major newspapers, including the Tallahassee Democrat and the Augusta Chronicle, and now contributes to Five Reasons Sports.

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro: A Young Man’s League

/0 Comments/in /by

When the Miami Heat advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals to play the Boston Celtics, it was said that it was Jimmy Butler’s time to take control of the team.

And well, that’s exactly what Bam Adebayo did.

Jimmy basically gave Bam the keys to the team in this series, telling him to do what he does best, which is win.

One game-winning block and one game-winning closeout performance further proved he was capable.

The national media began to pick up more on Bam Adebayo’s impact after his block on a Jayson Tatum dunk attempt, but after his series sealing performace with 32/14/5, it put the whole league on notice. He’s made huge strides all season long, showcasing his will and winning mentality, but ultimately showing that he is the textbook definition of a Miami Heat guy.

The accountability that he took after game five’s loss was the cherry on top when referring to a Miami Heat guy. He took the blame for the loss as a whole, and said he will need to be better. Jimmy Butler, Erik Spoelstra, and the rest of the team totally disagreed, saying it’s on everyone.

But after those comments, Bam came out with a purpose in game six, proving he can be an offensive anchor when need be. His ability to draw fouls and attack is obvious, but when that mid-range jumper started to drop, it proved that Bam can be a scary force in this league for many years to come.

And now to Tyler Herro.

It goes without saying that he’s been absolutely sensational in this playoff run. A 20 year old, taking the offensive load with the season on the line. But he doesn’t know how to play any other way.

He’s not a guy that will sit in the corner during big moments, he’d rather get the ball at the top of the key and take a contested step back to be the spark.

And that’s exactly what Tyler did in game six.

The team began to grow cold at the beginning of the fourth quarter. And when that’s the case, find your rookie Tyler Herro.

He scored five straight point, which was actually the most important stretch of the game.

And don’t forget about Tyler’s game four explosion, scoring 37 points.

Let me just say this, that isn’t normal.

But for Tyler Herro, it’s just another day.

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are just further proving that the future is very bright in Miami.

Two Kentucky Wildcats.

Two dogs with a winning mentality.

Two Heat-Lifers.

 

Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) contributes to the Five on the Floor platforms

Savor this Moment, Miami Heat Fans

/0 Comments/in /by

I’m over the moon as I type this. And I admit, I started this piece at the commencement of Game 5 and had to hold on to it since. There were even moments tonight where I thought that I would have to hang onto it for another couple days.

 

But I write this not because the Miami Heat are in the NBA Finals. It feels surreal to see that typed on my screen. We beat a team in the Boston Celtics that many national folks had penciled in as representing the Eastern Conference against the West. Best of all, we beat perennial Heat hater Paul Pierce. That is most certainly the cherry on top, the extra clams in my chowdah.

 

I write this not because this team has exceeded all of our expectations (the second round of the playoffs was universally regarded as their ceiling). This was supposed to be the table-setting year for when we would be cap flexible in 2021 (check), working on raising the skill level of our young players (check), and showing all free agents and interested superstars contractually bound but not really contractually bound (wink, wink) that this is an organization to be a part of. 

 

Let me just add, “Opa!”

 

But I am going to take a pause on all of this celebration because the Five On The Floor podcast will do all the breaking down and celebrating. Readers please make sure you check it out.

 

Truthfully, I write this for a different reason. I want to focus on appreciation.

 

Regardless of the outcome of this unique season, don’t just savor this run, Heat fans. We need to savor and appreciate this entire organization. It is the organization’s collective will, spirit, and mindset that has the Miami Heat relevant and compelling. I’ll be plain: this goes way beyond getting the right players and drawing up the right plays.

 

When the national media and various pundits scoff at “culture”, we embrace it. Dudes, it is a thing! The whole We-Aren’t-For-Everybody-And-Everybody-Isn’t-For-Us attitude gives us a swagger but ultimately it’s a credo that really should be etched in the hardwood of the practice gym because it speaks truth. It sets a bar and an expectation right from the jump. It’s a way to weed out those who just aren’t cut from this red and black cloth.

 

I’ve been drinking the Kool-Aid since 1988 and been doing Kool-Aid keg-stands since 1995. Since Pat Riley landed Alonzo Mourning I have pledged absolute fealty to the Armani-clad Don. Let’s not lose sight of what the appropriately named Winner Within has created here from the front office to the players and everything in between. 

This front office has managed to both acquire and jettison players and contracts thought to be unattainable and universally accepted as indisposable, respectively. I touched on some of it in a previous post I wrote. 

 

I half-heartedly joke when I say that Riley should do a Masterclass seminar of some kind but wouldn’t you pay to watch it?

 

So why am I feeling this way? Other than as a father who is able to enjoy watching a championship run with his son, I have my own personal history driving me. 

 

I have been a fan of the Miami Dolphins since 1983. I grew up on Dan Marino. He was everything.

 

Despite his greatness, I took him for granted. I started whining about the lack of a running game or the lack of a defense or the lack of a running game and a defense. For many years the Dolphins were in Super Bowl conversations and Marino made magic and yet each season ended without hoisting a Super Bowl trophy. 

 

Like many Dolphins fans, I would be apoplectic after each loss. Sure we had winning seasons. Yes, we would be one of a small handful of teams who made the playoffs. Not many would reach a conference championship game. But it was insatiable and I could be insufferable. We had Dan Marino while others had something called a Billy Joe Tolliver and yet I was blind to it.

 

It wasn’t until Marino retired in 1999 and the Dolphins since that time churned through more quarterbacks in the starting position than cabinet members in the current administration’s White House did I appreciate what no. 13 actually brought. He brought stability. 

 

We never had to worry about the quarterback position and with Tua Tagovailoa on board we will hopefully never have to for the foreseeable future.

 

Heat fans, we cannot let the same happen with this organization and take them for granted. Let’s take a pause from our frenzied celebration to toast this Miami Heat culture, this Miami Heat organization. Let us savor what we have in front of us. Let us recognize that we are blessed to not be the Kings, Hawks, or Hornets. Let’s even take an extended knee, look skyward, and thank someone upstairs that we are not the Knicks.

 

This organization from top to bottom has us poised to consistently contend and be in many meetings with top tier free agents. We are one of a handful of teams whose calls get answered and who get invited into the exclusive after party. Yes, we will have some off years. But hey, Robert De Niro is a phenomenal actor but when he said, “Yes” to the live adaptation of The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle, did that take any shine off of Taxi Driver or Goodfellas? That’s a resounding, “No”. 

 

So yeah, I’ll take our batting average as well.

 

We have found a formula that starts at the top and spreads throughout. Those aforementioned teams have been testing recipes for years and they still can’t get it right. They see a cavalcade of people sitting in front office positions or leading the players from the bench and nothing has changed. Us? We can take a down year or two because we know that around the corner and just beyond the horizon we’ll be back in the game. We take one step back but then several leaps forward.

 

There will be a time when Riley sets off into retirement. That day is inevitable. But I take solace knowing that this well-oiled machine has been succession planning for years. I know this because any great business or organization has a succession plan, has groomed those who are next in line, and has game-planned for every possible scenario. That’s what great organizations do. The Miami Heat are that great organization.

 

Fandom is such that we will often focus on how a ball failed to bounce our way, what horrible call was made or missed, or what untimely injury befell and derailed a promising season. Or we will use our own sport intelligence to dissect a game and second-guess coaching. This will never go away. In fact, I’m betting that the emotions on Heat Twitter will be swinging wildly! Heat fans, let’s not be us.

 

Success can be fleeting. It can go as quickly as it came. But with this team, this culture, and this organization, the great times eclipse the lean times such as the post-Shaq, pre-LeBron period. I’m sure we will have many more of those during our lifetimes. As I said previously, I’ll put my money on this Miami Heat culture.

 

After all, the Miami Heat are the hardest working, best conditioned, most professional, unselfish, toughest, meanest, nastiest team in the NBA.

The 5 Worst Takes about the Miami Heat

/3 Comments/in /by

Let’s be honest, the Miami Heat have overachieved this season. Miami’s improbable run wasn’t predicted by even the most cultured of Heat fans (See what I did there?). However, there were some pretty harsh opinions of the Heat that need to be revisited.

 

  1. HHH (Heat Hate Herro)

 

We will start with this compilation of tweets about Tyler Herro being drafted with the number 13 pick in last year’s draft. Most fans groaned as they heard Tyler’s name called on draft day because of his less-than-notable collegiate career. The Kentucky product wasn’t what fans thought the team needed to take the next step in becoming championship contenders. Herro was called Tyler Johnson 2.0 and some fans even called for Pat Riley’s retirement. Thank God the front office doesn’t read #HeatTwitter (Or do they? Duh duh duh)

 

 

 

  1. We “Herd” You

 

Colin Cowherd doesn’t let something as trivial as facts get in the way of his ratings. As a result, he has had his share of bad takes. But his views on the Heat are awful. There is the “Who’s Bam?” moment from preseason trade talks and who could forget the infamous “They can’t shoot” segment that confused us all. After completing a sweep over the Indiana Pacers with a 99-87 win in game 4, Cowherd said the team had a low ceiling and would get exposed in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks. That aged like milk.

 

 

 

  1. The Gift That Keeps On Giving 

 

Colin, if you don’t watch basketball just say so. I’m not one to judge. Here he claims Bam is not a star and hammers his point home by saying the Heat center averages 10 points and 8 rebounds. At the time, Bam was posting averages of 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 5.1 assist. In the playoffs, his numbers are 17.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.7 assist, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. Oh and Miami is on the verge of an NBA Finals berth. 

 

 

 

  1. Screamin’ A. Smith

 

Stephen A. Smith should know better. You would think he would have more faith in the Heat with all the love he has for South Beach *insert side eye*. Smith called Jimmy Butler coming to Miami “Absolutely the wrong move”, claiming that he would never be loved like he was in Philadelphia and even going as far as to call Philly the perfect setup for him. He followed up by saying that Miami would not be better than the 76ers and that the Heat may or may not make the playoffs. The kicker was Smith saying that Jimmy would be just another “really really good basketball player” here. 

 

 

  1. “Process” Your Grief

 

And here we are with the crown jewel of God-awful Heat takes. Krystle Rich of NBCS Philly emphatically claimed that the Miami Heat would miss the playoffs or be a first-round exit should they make the tournament. She went on to say that it would take 2-3 years for the Heat to build a team around Jimmy that could compete in the East. It felt more like a boyfriend unexpectedly breaking up with his girlfriend and her responding with the first mean thing that comes to mind. Even if it is woefully out of touch. Let that hurt go, sis. 

 

 

What a difference a year makes.

 

Royal Shepherd (@RoyalAShepherd) has written for several major newspapers, including the Tallahassee Democrat and the Augusta Chronicle, and now contributes to Five Reasons Sports.

Meyers Leonard: The Leader, The Voice, The Hammer

/1 Comment/in /by

It’s clear that Meyers Leonard is a true proponent of taking pride in work ethic and character. And well, that’s been on full effect during this postseason run.

When talking about the many factors that led to this this run, you’d probably start with Bam Adebayo’s impact, Tyler Herro’s breakout, Goran Dragic’s consistency, or Erik Spoelstra’s adjustments. But Meyers Leonard’s leadership should be pretty high up on that list.

Not many guys would absolutely embrace a role that means no on-court playing time, especially someone with the competitive spirit of Meyers. But he did. It’s another clear representation of that character. There’s a mutual respect between him and Erik Spoelstra, which led to the understanding of playing the role of the vocal teammate. When Erik talked about Meyer’s support the other day, he said “Meyers is one of the most special people I’ve had the opportunity to coach and be around.”

Meyers was a guy throughout the season that was a vocal floor general when in the game, who would make guys feel comfortable especially on the defensive end. Now, he continually utilizes this off the floor, standing next to Coach Spo pointing and calling stuff out.

And the word vocal can’t describe what he does on the sideline.

Screaming. Clapping. Fist-pumping. Directing.

He mentioned that he’s “the most jealous of watching our team’s success.” But team success doesn’t always mean on-court play. It means that you contribute in a way that you are most capable of in a given situation. And without Meyers’ leadership, these guys wouldn’t be where they are.

He ultimately wants to get the best out of all of his teammates, especially the young guys. After Tyler Herro’s 37 point explosion in game four, he praised not only the performance, but the work ethic that he always preaches.

 

The Miami Heat are now up 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, one win away from the NBA finals. And if the Miami Heat were able to face off against the Los Angelas Lakers, there’s a chance that Meyers not only will make an impact off the court, but also on the court against the Lakers plethora of bigs.

Character. Work Ethic. This takes you a long way. Listen to the wise words of Meyers Leonard.